The Coach's Book

Inspirational stories - from local level to the world stage

"How refreshing - a book about coaches rather than coaching. Truly uplifting...a welcome reminder of why we all do what we do. "

Sir Ian McGeechan OBE

The Coach's Book is a collection of coaches' stories.

Within its pages, you'll find inspirational tales of some great coaches. Although operating at different levels in different sports, they are all to be admired for their achievements. And they have at least one thing in common - they simply love sport.

There's the remarkable Mike Bohndiek, who takes kids from deprived areas and turns them into excellent cricketers with his all-inclusive attitude.

Jenny Archer had no experience of disability sport before helping steer David Weir to Paralympic success - and now they have The London Games firmly in their sights.

And then there's Jűrgen Grobler OBE, about whom we need only say 'Redgrave and Pinsent'!

Telling it like it is.

But this isn't about elite level coaching. It is a collection of real stories about real people. They tell us why they do what they do, sharing what they've learned along the way.

Author: sports coach UK

Copyright Year: 2011

ISBN: 9781905540921

Length: 51 Pages

'I think quite often as a coach we see our coaching and experiences in isolation and almost uncelebrated, which can take a little away from the joy of coaching. The Coach's Book gives something back to coaching and celebrates the hard-fought journeys many coaches have travelled in their quest to give back to their individual sports. It offers an insight into coaching at various levels and from a variety of different sports, detailing coaching philosophies, thoughts and ideas. For me, what is especially interesting throughout The Coach's Book are the various factfiles: the detailed résumés that really illuminate the individual journeys of some of our top coaches and put them into perspective. I am pretty confident that many coaches out there began their coaching careers because their son or daughter was participating and they wanted to get involved. Reading The Coach's Book,, I began to really feel like a coach; many of the stories resonated with me, and I felt part of the story. celebrates my personal coaching journey as well as that of every coach who picks it up. It reminds us why it is we enjoy coaching and why we continue to coach.'

-- Samuel Messam, Level 3 Basketball Coach

'As an improving coach I will always find the time to read The Coach's Book from front to back. The real-life stories it brings allows me to relate to the experience more so than with any other book. The mix in standard of contributing coaches is very appealing. It ignites inspiration to strive for a higher level, while also reaffirming the understanding that there are coaches out there who have the same challenges as you. To read their stories can be really uplifting. What I appreciate the most are the tips at the end of each insightful article. This strategy is unique and sums up the learning intentions of the article excellently.'

--

James Conlon, Primary School Teacher; Gaelic Games Coach; and Strength and Conditioning Coach